News & Announcements

Etiology of Pododermatitis revealed through research

                     Pododermatitis –The wide spread skin disease of cattle and buffaloes in Kerala, was identified as Dermatophilosis caused by Dermatophilus congolensis, an actionomycete gram positive bacterium. This forms the first report of isolation of Dermatophilus congolensis from cattle and buffaloes in Kerala. The work was conducted as a part of doctorate research programme of Dr. P. V. Tresamol, Associate Professor in the department of Veterinary Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, College of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Mannuthy, Kerala Veterinary and Animal Sciences University, under the guidance of Dr. M. R. Saseendranath.

             Clinical features of the condition include pustules, matting of hairs, scab formation and cracks or fissures on the skin of lower limbs and occasionally on udder, hindquarters, neck and face. Even though the disease is not fatal, it causes severe economic losses to cattle farmers through reduced milk production, weight loss, cost of treatment, culling of severely affected animals and inferior quality of hide. So far this condition was believed to be of mycotic origin or commercial feed associated one. But role of D. congolensis was clearly identified and confirmed by bacteriological and molecular techniques and pathogenicity studies. Many epidemiological factors such as rainfall, humidity, ectoparasites, wounds and abrasions, persistent moisture and chronic wetting of extremities, immunosuppression, and concurrent bacterial, fungal and parasitic infections have been implicated in the cause, spread and resolution of the disease. No association could be observed for occurrence of dermatophilosis with any type of the feed.Antibiogram of isolates of D. congolensis revealed ciprofloxacin and enrofloxacin as the most sensitive antibiotics followed by gentamicin, tetracycline, ceftriaxone, streptomycin, chloramphenicol, ampicillin, amoxicillin, amoxyclav, cotrimoxazole and penicillin. Treatment trials revealed better response with combination of parenteral antibiotics and topical iodine preparations.The findings of this study will help in early and accurate diagnosis and adoption of a suitable treatment for the condition to restore the health and productivity of affected animals and thereby minimising the economic loss to the farmers.